All posts by The Dog Lady

Dog Fun

Giles the Aerialist

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  A friend of mine lives with a huge black lab mix named Giles.  When their neighbors bought a trampoline for their kids, everyone was surprised when Giles got onto the trampoline with them.

Giles had played with the neighbor kids on several occasions, even taking their small toys home to play with.  Soon, he was going over to jump on the trampoline, even when the kids weren’t home.

The fun finally came to an end though, when Giles decided the trampoline was his!  He wouldn’t even let the kids get on it at all!

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Behavior and Psychology, Breed Specific, First Time Owners

Doggie Profiling

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Looking for a new member for your family, but not sure what breed to choose? A controversial study from the American Veterinary Association shows that breeds can be placed in seven groups based on three general traits:

  •   Reactivity (described as showing a need for affection, excessive barking, snapping at children, being excitable, or having a high activity level)
  •   Aggressiveness (showing dominance or being territorial)
  •   Trainability (easy to train)

You can use this these groups to narrow down your search, based on what you are looking for in a dog.

Continue reading Doggie Profiling →

Dog News

Special Week

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Did you know?  May 4th – 10th is not only Be Kind to Animals Week, it is also National Pet Week.  AND, the month of May has been designated as “Go Fetch!  Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month.”  So why not consider fetching some food and taking it to your local shelter. 


Even NASCAR star Kyle Busch is getting involved in helping shelter dogs. 

Continue reading Special Week →

Behavior and Psychology

That’s just gross!

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What is it with dogs eating inappropriate things?  I’m not just talking about their love of your favorite slippers or the fact that, given the chance, they would clean out the entire refrigerator.  I can even understand them chasing down a rodent or bird and making a feast of it.  But why do they feel the need to eat the waste products of other dogs?

YUCK!!!!!

The clinical term is coprophagia, and there are pills you can give your dog that are supposed to make him stop, but in my experience they do not work.  (No, I am not taking the pills, nor do I suffer from coprophagia, but my golden does.)

According to the Douglas Island Veterinary Service in Juneau, dogs may eat feces for a variety of reasons, including medical problems or attention-seeking.  They also state that the dog may have learned this behavior from other dogs.  Maybe that’s why I saw my beagle and my golden fighting yesterday to get a VERY fresh specimen (i.e. it hadn’t yet hit the ground).  Hey – I warned you in the title this was not going to be pleasant!

Anyways, the whole article from Juneau can be found here:  http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html. 

Write and let me know if you’ve found a way to cure your dog of this!  My e-mail is [email protected].  I’d love to hear from you anytime about this topic or things you’d like to see covered.  Even if you just want to tell me about your pampered pooch, I always love to get mail!

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Health, Welcome

Xylitol Warning

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My local news last night reported on a pet ferret that got into a pack of sugar-free gum and died from eating the Xylitol it contained.  This seemed kind of far-fetched to me, so I checked it out.  Turns out this very common sugar-substitute is indeed fatal to animals.  I know my dogs have gotten into my purse to pull out gum before, but they are so big, I guess it wasn’t enough to hurt them. 

The Knowles Animal Clinic in Miami has this to say on the subject:

“Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is used in sugar-free products such as gum and candy, as well as for baking and is used in the production of certain low-carbohydrate products now on the market.

As early as the 1960’s, experiments indicated a link between the ingestion of xylitol
and hypoglycemia in dogs. However, it has only been recently that the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has begun to receive reports of xylitol toxicosis in dogs. It is believed that this recent rise is likely due to the increased use of products containing xylitol in the United States.”

 

When a dog eats Xylitol, it causes a huge insulin rush, throwing the dog into a coma similar to how a diabetic ends up when his blood sugar gets too low.  In as little as 30 minutes, your dog may begin to show the symptoms such as : 

  •  

    • Weakness

    • Vomiting

    • Ataxia (uncoordinated movements)

    • Depression

    • Hypokalemia (decreased potassium)

    • Seizures

    • Coma

    • Liver dysfunction and/or failure

                              Pretty scary stuff!

  

So, until next time, keep that sugar-free candy and gum away from all of your pets.

 

Good day, and good dog!

Dog Accessories

The World of Dog Fashion

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This is Baron, all dressed and ready for his close-up, but he’s not exactly what I had in mind when I thought I’d write about dog fashion.

I remember when it used to be considered humiliating to dress your dog up, but now dog fashion is big business.  No more homemade knit sweaters from Grandma!  You can buy everything from jewel-encrusted collars to hoodies to holiday gear to hats for your favorite four-legged friend.  And really, who doesn’t look good in a hat?

Below are just a few of the over 1 million pages dedicated to the dog who has the right outfit for every occasion (and the owner who has way too much disposable income!)

http://www.kooldawgtees.com/

http://www.doggiedesigner.com/

http://www.downtowndoggy.com/

http://www.platinumpuppycouture.com/

Most of these sites have figured out that no wedding is complete without dogs (perish the thought!).  With June fast approaching, they are featuring tuxedoes, veils, and even gowns for Your Big Fat Greek Wedding.  No word yet on matching shoes.

If you aren’t planning a walk down the aisle anytime soon, maybe you’d prefer some “everyday” clothes.  My favorite pick?  The rose and lace biker dress that all the girls will be wearing in Sturgis, featured here:  http://www.kooldawgtees.com/images/BlkLeatherDress_1_.jpg

 

Now, I love shopping as well as the next girl, but I really never knew I could spend this much money dressing my dogs!  Live and learn.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Doggies Point Of View

The Ups and Downs of Being a Dog

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Can you imagine the roller coaster of emotions a dog goes through on a daily basis?

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Bacon! It smells so good! I just know that plate’s for me!

Wait! What’s she doing giving it to him? And he put it on the table where I can’t reach it. That is absolutely not fair!

There goes the squeak of the back door! Must be time to go outside! Smell those good smells! I smell a bunny! Where is he? Where is he? There he goes across the neighbor’s yard! I know I can catch him this time!

What is this metal thing blocking my way? Here, bunny, bunny, bunny. Damn! He’s going the other direction.

I’ll just lay here in the sunshine and wait for him to come back. Loving the hot sunshine!

Where’d it go? The sun was just here a minute ago. What’s that fluffy white thing in the sky?

Where is she? I’ve been scratching on this door forever! Or at least for 3 whole seconds. Why can’t she let me in? I know she loves me! She must be making a big surprise breakfast for me!

Dry kibble again. Thanks for nuttin’.

Nap time! I’ll just lay here in my cozy bed and wait for the kid to come home from school. Such a nice dream. I know I’m going to catch up with that squirrel this time!

What is that awful noise? Can’t a dog get a little shut-eye around here? I hate that thing. Every week it’s the same – she tries to suck up my tail in it, and I have to hide under the bed until she puts it away. Even if I just back up, she keeps chasing me across the carpet with it.

What’s that I hear? Is it my leash coming off the hook? Oh, boy! A walk! I can smell the whole neighborhood! I love walks! There goes the squirrel! I’m getting up to a good run!

YANK!

What is this thing squeezing my neck? Why can’t I go see the squirrel? He went up that darn tree again!

Oooohhhh! What’s this building? Boy does it smell good. Let’s see, Rex has been here, and Spot, and maybe even LuLu, that silly-looking poodle from down the block. Oh, boy! She’s opening the door! We’re going in.

SCREECH!

No way! This is that guy who stole my manhood! What is it this time? Does he want a leg? And what is that long skinny silver… OUCH! What was that for? I didn’t tell him he could have some of my blood!

Glad to be out of there! Just get me home. Can’t even enjoy my walk, I’m so upset.

Good! Here comes the kid! He always spills some of his snack! I’ll have me some good eats today!

What? Yogurt! What kind of a snack is that? It’s just not my day.

Finally, supper time! Smell that canned food! I love canned food! Can’t wait! Here it comes! Lower, lower, there! Finally on the floor. GULP!

Where’d it go? I know she gave me some food, but I sure didn’t taste anything.

And so it goes in a dog’s life.

Good day, and good dog!

Dog News

A sad tail…er…tale

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Have you been following the news of pets that are being abandoned at record rates due to the economy?   Seems that those who have lost their jobs can’t afford to keep their pets, which makes sense, but boy what a hard choice to make.  I know, you have to feed your kids and pay your electric bill, but it sure would be hard to have to give up Fido just to make it through.  Continue reading A sad tail…er…tale →